MIAMI – The front page of Sunday’s Miami Herald featured a story on the Burmese python challenging the alligator for supremacy in the Everglades. According to the story, a 14-foot snake ate a five-foot gator before exploding in the worst case of acid reflux known to man.

Gosh, they love kill-or-be-killed rivalries down here.

So when Florida State edged Miami 13-10 last night in their annual blood feud, it pushed most other news to Page 2. The Hurricanes and Seminoles are all about devouring each others’ national championship hopes in a gory, Alien vs. Predator-like grudge match.

“I know how hard it is to beat Miami here,” said Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden. “I’ve been doing it for 31 years. I know.”

For 60 minutes the ‘Canes and ‘Noles poured defensive mayhem on each other in a dark and rainy Orange Bowl, a relic of a stadium that emits terrifying groans and creaks in addition to the screams and taunts of 71,481 fans.

Seconds into the fourth quarter, the game was tied 10-10 and thoughts of another Miami-FSU game being decided by a last-second field goal attempt was scarier than putting your kids in Brittney Spears car. No problem, the game wasn’t decided by a last-second field goal.

Florida State kicker Gary Cismesia, who missed two field goals in overtime in the Seminoles’ overtime loss to Penn State in the Orange Bowl, booted the decisive 33-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter.

“These kids deserved not to have that happen to them,” said FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews. “They worked too hard.”

Florida State hadn’t beaten Miami here since 1998. The ‘Noles haven’t won two straight from the ‘Canes since 1997-98. This is very bad news for Miami coach Larry Coker, who was forced to shuffle his staff after last season’s 40-3 loss to LSU in the Peach Bowl.

“I want to make sure our fans don’t give up on this football team,” said Coker. “This is going to be a good football team.”

Trailing 13-10, Miami got the ball back on its nine with four minutes left, but Florida State’s defense held. The ‘Canes got the ball one last time on their 20 with one minute left, but an interception by Don Bosco (N.J.) Prep graduate Michael Ray Garvin sealed the game.

The win immediately makes FSU a national-title contender and puts Miami behind the eight-ball, which is why this game will be moved to October in future seasons.

“We could open with Northeast Canada or Southwest Mexico like some teams and win by 40 but you still don’t know what you’ve got,” said Bowden. “We know what we’ve got.”

These two defenses were as swarming and suffocating as ever. Florida State shut out Miami in the second half and allowed just 17 yards.

“Domination,” said FSU linebacker Buster Davis. “There’s no other word for it.”

The Seminoles held the ‘Canes to two yards rushing. The ‘Canes held the Seminoles to one. Anybody want to play these guys?

When the ‘Noles scored a touchdown on a one-yard run by Joe Surratt on the first play of the fourth quarter to tie the score, the momentum could be sensed slipping like a ghost from the Miami sideline to the Florida State sideline.